But I find in the same Eusebius, Prometheus is set 111 years still earlier, before the first mention of Hercules, this is during the life of the patriarch Joseph. Prometheus and Atlas were brothers, and students in Astronomy, with whom the story of Hercules is always conjoin’d. And so high at least, I must place the time of our Tyrian Hercules, who is the same as Desanaus. But Marianus transcribing Eusebius calls him Dosenaus. And Hesychius says Dorsanes is a name of Hercules, with the Indians. But by the Indians, it is likely, the Phœnicians and Arabians are meant; for the ancient Greeks call all the country to the east of the mediterranean sea, India. And then we may in some measure understand the report of Ammianus Marcellinus, who takes it from Timagenes, an old Greek Historian, but a Syrian by nation, speaking concerning the peopling of Gaul, “that the more ancient Hercules conducted the Dorienses, to the countries bordering on the ocean.” Perhaps the Dosareni are meant, an Arabian nation, mention’d by Ptolemy. A Deity of the Arabians was called Dusaris or Dosaris, mention’d by Step. Byzant, Suidas and Tertullian. A difficult word, which Bochart cannot trace from the Arabian language; nor is it easy to say, what Deity he was. No wonder such matters are obscur’d, thro’ so long distance of time. Some think him Bacchus, some Mars, and why not Hercules? for after mankind laps’d into idolatry, these three were much confounded.
I find sufficient testimony, of the Tyrian Hercules coming from Arabia, about the red sea, or having companions, that were natives of that country. For this reason they nam’d an island at the city of Gadis, which they built, Erythia, Erythræa; which Pliny IV. 22. says, was so called from the first possessors, the Tyrians, who came from the Erythræan sea: which is the red sea. Solinus says the same. That sea had its name from Erythras, as the Greeks and the same Pliny write; who is Edom or Esau, brother of Jacob. The words are synonymous, signifying red. The reports of Hercules’s expedition to that island Erythræa now Cadiz, is famous in all the old Greek writers.
This relation we have given of the Tyrian Hercules, that he lived about the time of Abraham, or soon after, according to Eusebius’s chronology; that he came from about the red sea, and had companions in his travels, that lived thereabouts, is much confirm’d by what Josephus writes, from Alexander Polyhistor; who cites it from a very antient author, called Cleodemus, sirnam’d Malchus, who wrote a history of the Jews, agreeable with the Mosaic. He says, Abraham had several Sons by Keturah, he names Apher, Suris and Japhra. That Apher and Japhra were auxiliaries to Hercules, when he fought in Lybia against Antæus. That from Apher the country was nam’d Africa. That Hercules married his daughter, and begat of her Dodorus. Josephus in the same chap. of the first book of his antiquities, writes, that Abraham had six sons born of Keturah: men, heroic and wise. That they and their posterity were settled in Troglodytis, in the country of Arabia fœlix, reaching to the red sea. He makes Opher or Apher grandson to Abraham, by Midian his son. That Apher waged war in Lybia and conquer’d it, and plac’d his sons there, who call’d the Country Africa from their father. So Schindler in his lexicon, pag. 1361.
Making proper allowance for relations of such very antient matters, transmitted by historians of different countries, different languages, and so often transcribed and translated, before they come down to us; here is enough to confirm and explain, what we have before advanc’d: both as to time and place, and matter. And we cannot but see what relation our Main Ambres and the gygonian stone by the ocean, have to the petræ ambrosiæ, which Hercules set up at Tyre: which is the drift of my discourse. That very gygonian stone, for ought I see, may be our rocking-stone near Pensans, it stands by the sea-side. Nor do I see any absurdity, if we judge, that it was erected there, by Hercules in person. Near it is that other famous Druid temple call’d Biscawoon, consisting of 19 pillars in a circle and a central kebla. The entrance is made of 2 somewhat larger stones, than the rest: not improbably one of the Herculean labours. It is affirm’d by the best authors, that our Tyrian Hercules, the more ancienter Hercules, built the city of Gadis, at Cadiz now. And where-ever Hercules came, there we read of his pillars. Thus Avienus.
Hic Gadir urbs est, dicta Tartessus prius,
Hic sunt columnæ pertinacis Herculis.
Arrian II. of the life of Alexander, remarks, “that Gadis was built by the Phœnicians. There was a temple of Hercules. The form, the sacrifices and ceremonies there perform’d, are all after the Phœnician manner.” Strabo in his Lib. III. says there were two pillars in this temple, dedicate to Hercules; which the learned Tristan in his commentaries on medals, p. 384. says, he doubts not, but they were petræ ambrosiæ, in imitation of those of the same name, in the temple of Hercules of Tyre, which Herodotus in Euterpe speaks of. He appears to have been an extraordinary genius, and a man of great piety withal. Therefore where-ever he came, he made these patriarchal temples, or set up pillars of stone, as antiquity called them. Just as the patriarchal family did in the land of Canaan. And Hercules seems to me, to have been a great man, raised up by providence, to carry the reform’d patriarchal religion, to the extremest part of the then known western world. Here, I suppose, the religion of Abraham remain’d pure, for many ages, under the Druids, till perhaps corrupted by incursions from the continent. It is remarkable, that the Romans, who were so catholic, (different from those we now absurdly call Roman catholics) as to permit all religions, persecuted only that of the Druids, and the christian: whence we are naturally led to think, there was a good deal of resemblance. Indeed, the Druids are accused of human sacrifices. They crucified a man and burnt him on the altar; which seems to be a most extravagant act of superstition, deriv’d from some extraordinary notices they had of mankind’s redemption: and perhaps from Abraham’s example misunderstood. But as to human sacrifices simply considered, the Romans themselves and all other nations upon earth at times, practis’d them.
To this Hercules, antiquity affixed very many names, from different notions of him, retain’d in different countries; and after idolatry took root, he was worshipp’d under those names of consecration, according to the old method. For instance, one of his names was Palæmon. Palæmon, says Hesychius, is Hercules. The Greeks made him a sea Deity, who had been so great a sea-captain. They call him Melicerta, which is his Phœnician name Melcartus, king of the city. Ovid tells us the story in Met. IV. Nonnus calls him Astrochiton starry-robed, from his being made a constellation in heaven. In the Gallic picture of him, which Lucian saw, he is represented with a sphere in one hand, under the name of Ogmius. Mr. Toland in his history of the Druids, shews us the true interpretation of that word, from the Irish language; after the learned had in vain attempted the explication of it. From thence we infer he brought the use of letters hither. Cæsar informs us, the Druids had them. He is called Assis, by the easterns, which signifies the valiant: the same as Hæsus of the Germans.
Stukeley delin.